ABSTRACT
Background: Congenital cardiovascular malformation is the most common group of birth defects. Fetal echocardiography is highly sensitive and specific in the diagnosis of congenital heart disease in low- and high-risk populations. Objective: This study aimed to assess abnormal findings in fetal echocardiography and maternal disease. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 114 pregnant women referred to Afshar hospital, Yazd, Iran from October 2016 to March 2017. All pregnant women underwent fetal echocardiography through fetal heart screening protocol, which is administered by the international society of ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology guidelines. Data collected included referral cause, gestational age, maternal age, gravida, and final diagnosis after an accurate fetal echocardiography. Results: The mean gestational age was 20 wk. The most common referral cause of pregnant women included diabetes (36.8%), fetal arrhythmia (14%), high maternal age (7%), and echogenic focus on ultrasound (6.1%). The most common postpartum findings were normal (68.4%), cardiac abnormalities (17.6%), and arrhythmias (14%). In postnatal echocardiography, the results were consistent with fetal echocardiography except in 2 women. Conclusion: This study showed that fetal echocardiography can be used in the early diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart diseases.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The response to ovarian stimulation is different among women referring for assisted reproductive techniques. This difference could be due to different genotypes in genes related to reproduction such as estrogen receptor beta (ERß or ESR2) gene. OBJECTIVE: In the present study, we explored the rate of ESR2 gene polymorphism in infertile women undergoing IVF treatment with different ovarian response to ovulation induction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed among 91 infertile women. The relationship between genotype distribution of the +1730 G/A polymorphism in the ESR2 gene (rs4986938) and the mean number of follicles and oocytes, their mean ratio, mean number of embryos, mean size of the follicles and pregnancy rates were measured. The ESR2 gene +1730 G/A polymorphism were identified by the amplification-refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Genotypes GG, GA, and AA of the ESR2 gene presented frequencies of 27.5%, 67%, and 5.5%, respectively, in the infertile women. The results of the study showed that the mean number of follicles and oocytes, their mean ratio, mean number of embryos, mean size of the follicles, and pregnancy rates are not related to different genotypes. CONCLUSION: According to the endocrine and paracrine factors which are involved in the ovulation induction and maturation of oocytes, more studies with higher number of participants are required to confirm the results of the present study; in addition, further studies are required to find out other gene polymorphisms affecting estrogen receptor efficacy in the infertile women.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Pediatric hypertension is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in pediatric populations. PURPOSE: To examine pediatric hypertension in a clinical setting, we used the percentile rank approach and defined hypertension as that above the 95th percentile. METHODS: The present study was linked to the a national analytical cross-sectional community-based Iranian Children and Adolescents' Psychiatric Disorders (IRCAP) survey. The survey was nationwide and funded by the National Institute of Medical Research Development. The IRCAP survey included 31,000 children and adolescents aged 6-18 years in all 31 Iran provinces. The current study included 1,035 children and adolescents and linked the data of the risk factors of cardiovascular disease only in Yazd province via random cluster sampling. RESULTS: Of the total participants, 456 (44.1%) were male and 579 (55.9%) were female. The mean age was 11.2±3.8 years (11.7±3.7 years for males, 11.0±3.6 years for females), while mean height was 146±20.0 cm overall, 147.2±22.0 cm for males, and 144.6±17.0 cm for females (P=0.009). The blood pressure distributions and percentiles were evaluated. CONCLUSION: Here we determined age- and height-specific 50th, 90th, 95th, and 99th percentiles of systolic and diastolic blood pressures in Yazd boys and girls using 10-cm height intervals.
